NEW YORK - With frequent references to the leadership Rudy Giuliani showed after the Sept. 11 attacks, the state Republican Party on Monday endorsed its native son for president.

“Only Rudy Giuliani has stood at the abyss of terror and destruction and shown a city, state, nation and, yes, the world the true meaning of leadership,” state GOP Chairman Joseph Mondello said at the event at a midtown Manhattan hotel.

He said that on Sept. 11, 2001, “this city's mayor became America's mayor, and Rudy Giuliani became a man destined for greatness.”

Giuliani said he was pleased with the support.

“I can't tell you how much this means to me both personally and of course for our campaign to have the support of my home state,” he said.

He said fighting terrorism and dealing with the economy would be the top two priorities for an incoming administration, and he said he had learned from the events of Sept. 11 and other attacks.

“The lessons of the 20th century, to me, are that you never ever back down in the face of bullies, dictators, tyrants and terrorists,” he said.

He also told the supportive crowd that the Republican Party needed to compete even in traditional liberal strongholds such as New York.

“My view of this race for president is that the Republican Party should not go into this election, as we have in the past, having to write off New York, Connecticut, New Jersey,” he said.

“We've got to make this a 50-state election.”

Giuliani was scheduled to be in Albany on Tuesday to be endorsed by state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, state Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco and other GOP state lawmakers.

National polls have shown Giuliani in front-runner position, as is New York Sen. Hillary Clinton for the Democrats.

Clinton was endorsed by the state's Democrats last week.